Filling detector for looms



' Feb. 7, 1933. J. w. SIMPSON 4 1,896,332

FILLING DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 28, 1932 Fig. 4/

WITNESSv INVENTOR. CuNToN S COE' UEN. JESSE W. 5| MPSON.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 7, 1931;

- UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE JESSE w. SIMPSON, or ANDERSON, soU'rH' CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR T0 mmrnn ooRronA- TION, or HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A conronA'rionor MAINE FILLING DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Application filed .Tanuary'28, 1932. Serial No. 589,451.

This invention relates to looms, and more particularly to means for indicating substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle. I I

Looms particularly adapted for weavlng the better grades of cloth, in which a partial pick or a mispick would constitute an objectionable blemish, are commonly provided with devices for feeling of the filling supply in the shuttle and indicating. its substantial exhaustion, thereby initiating a predetermined change in the operationof the loom. Occurrence of the indication at a time when there isrnot sufficient filling in the shuttleto form the one or more picks laid in the shed in the interval between indication and completion of the change in the operation of the loom results in the formation of a partialv pick or a mispick. Should this defect not. be detected by the usual filling fork the normal sequence of operations of the loom occurs and the defect usually escapes the attention ofthe attendant, thus forming a blemish in the cloth. To guard against this source of imperfections it is common practice to provide the filling carrier with'a preliminarywind or Bunch forming a reserve supply of fill-.

ing, or to so adjust the feeler as to cause itto indicate some time prior to actual complete exhaustion of the filling supply. I

Experience has shown that the aforementioned precautions'are not always suflic'lent in actual practice to prevent occurrence of the defects enumerated, it frequently happen ing that filling carriers are inadvertently wound withoutthe bunch, or, for other reasons, the shuttle is presented to the feeler when the feeler carrier contains lessthan the required amount of filling.

I propose to render the occurrence; of the blemishes resulting from said defects impossible, or at least highly improbable by preventing the operation of the filling detecting and indicating devices when, at any tune, ashuttle containing less than a predetermined amount of filling is presented to the detecting devices, thus permitting'the stopping of the loom. by the usual filling fork. When the loom is so stopped thepartialpick maybe manually removed, or the missing eating substantial exhaustion of shown in Fig. 1,

pick manually inserted, and theloom again started, thus preventingthe formation of a blemish in the cloth.

The specific embodiment of my invention herein disclosed includes two .side slipping feeler members, one for-detecting and indithe, filling supply, and the other for rendering the first feeler member inoperative whenever the filling supply in the shuttle presented to the feeler has become depleted beyond a predetermined extent, but it is to be considered that filling detecting. and indicating devices of various types may be rendered inoperative by other than the specific mechanismdescribed without departing from the spirit .of the present invention as defined in the ap pended claims. i

Referring more particularly to the draw-' ing, which illustrates the preferred embodimentof my invention: 1

Fig 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of-a shuttle and a filling feeler embodying my invention; i

Fig. 2 is aplan view of the mechanism illustrating the operation when a bunch is present on the'filling carrier;

Fig. Sis a view similarto Fig. 2 but'il'lustratingthe operation when the filling supply has become depleted beyond a predetermined 80, extent, and o v v Fig. 4 is a sectionalview takenon line 4-4, Fig.3. As shown on the drawing, a shuttle box 1 is carried'by the lay 2 for receiving a Shuttle 3. The shuttle supports a suitable filling car rier such as bobbin 4 for carrying the supply of filling to be paid out and thereby laid in the shed as the shuttle is picked across the loom in the usual manner; The shuttle, shut tle box and other'parts of the loom may be of any suitable construction now well known and need not be further illustrated or de scribed. 1 The illustrated embodiment of my inven- ?5 tion includes, as a part thereof, a feeler that is similarin some respects to'that disclosed in my prior Patent 1,747,991 granted Feb. 18, 1930. Such feeler consists of a feeler stand 5 adjustably supportedon v a suitable part of the loom by means of a bolt 6 passing through a slot 7 in the feeler stand, and a side slipping feeler member 8 yieldingly urged rearwardly into feeling position by spring 9 secured at one end to a hook 10 formed in the feeler member 8, and at its other end to an arm 11 adjustably fixed to the feeler stand 5 by means of bolt 12. The feeler member 8 is supported and guided in its movements by the bolt '12 and the walls of a slot 13 formed in an upturned end 14 of the feeler stand 5. I I

The spring 9, in addition, to urging the feeler member 8 rearwardly.,,;also tends to hold it, when in its rearward feeling position, against a stop face 15 formed on a down-Y Wardly extending lug 16 on a lever 17 pivoted at 18 to the upturned end 1 1 of the feeler stand. Side slipping mo-vementof'this feeler member'results in'its contacting and moving'a wire or rod 18, which rod controls any usual mechanism for effecting apredetermined change in the operation of *theloom, such as replenishment of the filling or loom stoppage. a r v The feeler member as thus described is similar in construction and operationto the feeler member in my said prior Patent 1,74r7,- 991, except'that lever 17 has nocounterpart in the said patent. Such feeler construction is, as above indicated, but one of many forms which may be satisfactorily employed.

'In addition to the previously'described parts the present embodiment of my invention includes a second feeler member 19supported upon the feeler stand5 and guided in its movements by the slot 13 and a bolt or. the like 20. This feeler member is mounted slightly to one side of the feeler member 8, to feel ofthe filling at a different place along the fillingcarrier, preferably adjacent the butt'end of the carrier wherethebunch is ordinarily placed if one is provided.

This additional feelerfmember 19 isnormall; urged rearwardly into feeling position and laterally against the adjacent end of slot 13 by a single spring 21 secured at, one end toa laterally and rearwardly extending hook 22 formed in the feeler member, and at its other end to a hook on an arm 23 adjustably fixed to the feeler stand 5'by means of bolt 20. In the normal position of .the parts, shown in Fig. 1, the lever 17 rests on the top of thefeeler members 8 and 19, being held in this position by gravityfand: the feeler member 19 also is in proximity to an inclined or cam surface 2 1 formed on lug 16.

The heads of bolts 12 and 20 must, of course, be prevented from binding on the, respective feeler members. The particular means for this purpose herein shown is a bushing 20 (Fig. 4) positioned between a.

washer on the head of the respective bolt and the feeler-stand 5, as in my said priorpatent.

Any other suitable means may be employed for the purpose.

While the operation of the device is probably apparent from the foregoing description, it may be briefly described as follows:

During the normal operation of the loom, when there is an ample supply of filling in the shuttle, each time the lay heats up with the shuttle in the box on the feeler side of the 100m both feeler members'will be engaged by the filling and pushed axially forward, they being prevented from slipping sidewise because of their frictional engagement with the filling.

When the filling supply becomes depleted to a predetermined extent, i.'-e.'lwhen all the filling is gone except a bunch B asin Fig. 2 or except a'few layers, the frictionvbetween the bobbin and the tip of feeler member 8 is insufiicient to retain this'feeler member in contact with stop 15 against the action of spring 9 and the memberwill accordingly, after'being moved slightly forward, slip sidewise, contacting and moving rod 18 and thus indicatingsubstantial exhaustion ofithe filling supply. The bunch B, if one is provided, prevents side slipping of the feeler member. 19 and it will accordingly be moved idly forward, lever 17 remaining in normal position shown in Figs. 1 and :2. It may be noted at this point thatshould the feeler. be intended to operate without a bunch the feeler member 7 19 should be adjusted so that it will not side slip as soon as the regular feeler memberS.

For example, the feeler member 8 may .be adjusted to slip on the relatively loose layers constituting about tenor twelve yards of fills ing and the feeler member 19 then adjusted to not slip until the filling supply is much further depleted. However, regardless 0 which way the-feeler is intended to operate, the presence of a predetermined amount of filling on the filling carrier will serve, in the manner indicated, to preventthe feeler member 19 from interfering with the normal action of the other feeler member .8;

'Should, at any time, the shuttle be presented to. the feeler when the filling carrier contains less than a predetermined amount of filling, either because a bunch .was 'inad vertently omitted or :for some other reason, the friction between both feeler members and the filling carrier will be insufficient to retain them in their normal positions relative to the filling carrier and both will tend to slip sidewiseg However, a very slight sidewise' movement offfeeler member 19 will result in its contactingcam surface 2 1 and thereby tilting locking lever 17 into the path of the other feeler member and locking it against side slipping movements The feeler member 8 is, in this instance, rendered inoperative to move rod 118 and no indication of, substantial exhaustion. of fillingsupply will result. Accordingly, as soon as thefilling supply is completely exhausted the 100111 will be stopped by the usual filling work and the weavers attention thereby directed to the defective operative conditions. After correcting any error that may have been introduced by a partial pick or mispick and providing the shuttle with a fresh supply of filling the loom may again be started, when weaving operations will be resumed without leaving a blemish in the cloth.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with the filling carryb ing shuttle of a loom, means for detecting substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle, and means for determining the presence or absence of a bunch on the filling carrier and preventing operation of I said detecting means when no bunch is present on the filling carrier. I

2. In combination with the filling carry ing shuttle of a loom, means for detecting and indicating substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle, means for determining the presence or absence of a bunch on the filling carrier and means, controlled by said second named means, for preventing the said indication by said first named means when no bunch is present on the filling carnor.

3. In combination with the filling carrying shuttle of a loom, a feeler including a pair of feeler members for feeling of the filling supply at different places along the ling carrier, means operable by one of said feeler members for initiating a change in the operation of the loom, and means controlled by the other feeler member for preventing the said initiation of change in operation when said other feeler member detects a substantial exhaustion of filling on the filling carrier.

4. In combination with the filling carry ing shuttle of a loom, a feeler including a feeler blade for detecting substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a feeler blade for determining the presence or absence of a bunch on the filling carrier, and means con trolled by said second blade for rendering said first blade inoperative when no bunch is present on the filling carrier.

5. In combination with the filling carrying shuttle of a loom, a feeler including a feeler blade for detecting substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a feeler blade for determining the presence or absence of a bunch on the filling carrier, and a locking device for locking said first blade out of operation when said second blade determines that no bunch is present on the filling carrier.

6. In combination with the filling carrying shuttle of a loom, a feeler including a side slipping feeler member, a second feeler member for determining the presence or absence of a bunch on the filling carrier and a locking member operated to lock said first feeler member against side slipping movement when said second feeler member determines that no bunch is present on the filling carrier 7. In combination with the filling carrying shuttle of a loom, a feeler including a pair of side slipping feeler members mounted side by side for feeling of the filling supply at different places along the filling carrier, and a locking lever provided with a cam surface engageable by one of said feeler memers upon occurrence of its side slipping movement for tilting the lever into the path of the other feeler member to thereby lock said other feeler member against side slipping movement.

' JESSE W. SIMPSON, 

